News

It is estimated that 75% of commercial building floor area in California is conditioned with packaged systems. The emerging technology assessed in this study is the Seeley Climate Wizard (CW) Hybrid, which is a packaged RTU that integrates a heat pump with an indirect-direct evaporative cooling (IDEC) system that is designed as a direct replacement for a traditional RTU.
Refrigerants used in vapor-compression air conditioners and heat pumps have been the subject of environmental regulations requiring the need to develop alternative solutions with lower global warming potential (GWP). In general, there is a trade-off when choosing alternative refrigerants between safety, performance, and GWP.
Schools are facing many challenges this fall, including minimizing risks to students and staff from Covid-19 and wildfire smoke exposure. Air purifiers are one tool that can help. Researchers from the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute (EEI) partnered with science teachers at Rio Tierra Junior High School in Sacramento to teach a two-day lesson on air quality and build 30 portable air cleaners with approximately 150 8th grade students.